Souderton Area High School Future Business Leaders of America students Erin Bowman(L) and Katie Freed arrange dress shoes for sale during the FBLA's Cupid's Closet event at the school on Wednesday February 12,2014. Phot by Mark C Psoras/The Reporter

Souderton Area High School Future Business Leaders of America students (L-R) Tara Young,Erin Bowman,Heidi Liebenberg and Christie Birchall arrange prom dresses for sale during their Cupid's Closet event for the Cinderella Project at the school on Wednesday February 12,2014. Phot by Mark C Psoras/The Reporter

FRANCONIA — On Wednesday night, community members looking for affordable prom dresses were invited to shop “Cupid’s Closet” at Souderton Area High School. The event was run by the school’s Future Business Leaders of America club, which held a similar event two years ago, said teacher Maria Halteman.

From Jan. 10 to Feb. 10, the club collected about 400 formal and semi-formal dresses, said Erin Bowman, a senior in the FBLA club. Bowman was on the Cupid’s Closet committee along with juniors Christie Birchall and Tara Young. Many of the dresses collected were actually new, donated by local bridal shops, Bowman said. They came from Harleysville Bridal & Tuxedo Shoppe, All Things Bridal in Quakertown, Stephanie’s Bridal Shop in Pennsburg and Country Bride and Gent, among others, Halteman said.

Before the dresses went on sale to the public, Souderton students who need a little help with prom were given first pick, Halteman said. “That’s the first goal of this project, to support Souderton students who can’t afford to go to prom,” she said. Those attending Wednesday’s event could enter a raffle to win gift baskets; that money will help the same students afford prom tickets, Halteman said.

The dresses were on sale Wednesday night in the school’s cafeteria along with menswear and accessories, such as shoes and purses. Dresses ranged in price from $5 to $50, Young said, with the new dresses costing the most. The sale’s profits were given to Donate Life PA, an initiative to “build awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation,” according to the organization’s website. FBLA clubs across the state have chosen Donate Life PA as this year’s charity, Halteman said.

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With 247 members, FBLA is Souderton’s largest club, Halteman said. In the fall, students focus mostly on community service, while the spring brings bigger projects: Cupid’s Closet, a film festival and a pancake breakfast, she said.

Although the Cupid’s Closet event held two years ago raised more than $1,000, this year’s event was not very busy, most likely because of the snowstorm, Halteman said. They raised nearly $400 for Donate Life PA, she said, and they might hold another sale in the near future. Otherwise, all of the leftover dresses will be donated to the Cinderella Project, which collects gently used prom dresses for teens who can’t afford them.